In her book, Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching, Charlotte Danielson explains the roles of School Library Media Specialists in the context of four domains.
Domain 1: Planning and Preparation
School Library Media Specialists have a variety of responsibilities. In order to be effective in this complex role, we must be well-prepared and have an effective plan for overall success of our program. A clear, philosophy, vision, and mission articulates the goals of the library program. Other plans support the varied role of the library media specialist.
Library Media Specialists must be knowledgeable of literature and trends in information technology. Reading professional resources and published literature will help foster a love of reading and learning. In being able to support the schools needs. We must know the curriculum and students' information needs. Integration with the overall school program, including aligned goals, is essential. We must have an integration plan, so that collaboration with staff is deliberate and consultative. An overall evaluation plan helps us keep track of what works, and improvements needed year-to-year.
Examples:
Philosophy, Vision, and Mission Statements
The mission statement supports the mission statement of the school. This document outlines the overall goals and objectives for the library program.
Literature for Curriculum Support
The literature selections here focus on the topic of The Revolutionary War for Grade 5. Supporting the curriculum is a primary goal for library media specialists. Creating and updating resources for teachers is one goal of the library program. It enables teachers to rely on the available resources to support the classroom curriculum.
